Watford turnout slumps to lowest level in decades

A shockingly small number of Watford residents have turned out to vote in the general election this year.

The turnout for the town’s constituency this year was 61.08 per cent, which is 8.89 per cent down from 2019 when it was 69.97 per cent.

You would have to go as far back as 2001 to find a time when it was so low and even though it was the lowest turnout in the last 100 years nationally, Watford was still at 61.2 per cent.

• General Election 2024 results LIVE: Updates from Watford

• Exit poll gives Labour '99 per cent chance' of winning Watford

• General Election 2024: Follow live as election results are announced

Turnout was 67.88 per cent in 2017, 67.47 per cent in 2015, 68.3 per cent in 2010, and 64.8 per cent in 2005.

How this will impact the result remains to be seen as the count continues. There were suggestions before polls opened that some voters may have seen the outcome as a bit of a foregone conclusion and stayed home.

The result is expected to be announced at around 3am.